Martin County Fails and then Demands Concessions

Martin County has failed its citizens tremendously and these failures are coming to light because of All Aboard Florida. The “planners” in Martin County have failed to plan for anything since All Aboard Florida became public in 2012.

Despite previous “planners” in Martin County asking for the railroad in the center of town and then building around the railroad the officials in Martin would like to defer the failures of government planning and shift that blame to AAF.

Now the officials in Martin County are upset at the “planners” at the federal level and the roadshow that was recently held not by All Aboard Florida but instead the entity that would shovel your tax dollars to AAF which is the Federal Rail Administration.

The failures of government planning are being highlighted thanks to All Aboard Florida and in response to the failed planners are submitting some demands to the FRA.

Replace the St. Lucie River railroad bridge and provide a vessel detection system, which could monitor the position, course and speed of marine traffic.

Create formal pedestrian crossings where there is “historic and heavy” foot traffic.

Provide at least one northbound and one southbound stop daily.

Provide a supplemental comment period to review the 90 percent construction plans.

Provide four quadrant gates — gates with two traffic arms on each side of the crossing that are intended to increase safety by preventing drivers from circumventing the typical one-arm barrier to cross the tracks.

Provide vehicle presence detection systems at all crossings.

At all signalized intersections provide “advanced pre-emption,” which would alert the traffic signal controller about the impending arrival of a train before the grade crossing’s active warning system’s flashing lights and gates begins operation.

Renegotiate all grade crossing agreements.

Provide wildlife crossing culverts/tunnels.

Monitor improvement projects to the train corridor through the Treasure Coast.

The taxconsuming overlords want quite a lot to make up for the failures in planning by Martin officials, including violating contracts just because they have failed. Notice how many of their “suggestions” are actually the responsibility of local road/traffic planners. They have failed and as a result want someone else to provide for their failures. Roads have failed once again and it isn’t just the pedestrians, bicyclists and schoolchildren along the roads anymore.

Beware people of Martin. When your officials fail they will blame others and next time it could be you.